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The current Hip-Hop generation has seen its fair share of rappers blatantly attempt to rub out the ones who paved the way for them, or just sh*t on the road all together.

DMX recently showed paying homage wasn’t a sign of weakness or being a stan. It’s sign of respect and still cool to admit that even a Hip-Hop great could admit they also were once influenced by another artist.

“I’m cheesing like a motherf*cker,” X said to StreetHeatTV’s cameras after he and The seventeenth Letter exchanged greetings backstage at a show. Afterwards, The Dark Man proved he was as big of a fan as he claimed he was by rattling off the lyrics to “Microphone Fiend” as the entire room went wild.

Rakim also showed his appreciation to how DMX kicked in the door in 1998 as his debut album, It’s Dark and Hell is Hot is credited for bringing a sense of grittiness back to the game during a time where commercialism dominated the airwaves.

“We all know what was going on with Hip-Hop at that time,” Rakim recalled. “When he came through, the sh*t was so raw, I was like, ‘Thank you, man. Finally.’ It was like New York could stand up again. And what was dope is I love MCs that say that sh*t that I can’t say [without being looked at like a bitter old head]. He spoke his sh*t from day one. You could tell he was walkin’ the sh*t he was talkin’.”

The sense of euphoria was recently deflated as DMX was arrested for his habitual child support delinquency ways but the moment was still captured in time on YouTube. Watch it below.

Photo: StreetHeatTV